‘Game Of Thrones’: The Queen Sets Sail-Part 2 Of 4

It’s not really an extravaganza, it’s more just me ranting about the awesome Season 6 finale last night, but extravaganza sounds so much fancier.

Last night, I covered all of the events having to do with The King in the North, so now let’s move onto the Queen in Meereen, the Mother of Dragons.

As always, this goes without saying, but SPOILERS.

As it is an extremely good time to be a Stark right now, it’s similarly a fantastic time to be Daenerys. Her plan since Season 1 has been to sail to Westeros, and now that is actually not only being planned and wished for, but her ships are being prepared as we speak. I was on edge the whole episode, just praying that nothing would go wrong. My prayers were answered.

Daario comes in, letting Daenerys know that all is going well and on schedule, that the sails are being painted. He speculates how the Dothraki will do in their sailing, and that’s when Daenerys drops the bomb. Daario will not be joining them.

This proves how intelligent Daenerys is and how willing she is to sacrifice for the Throne and for the good of ruling. She knows she cannot take a lover with her to Westeros. If she ever did choose to marry again, it would be much harder with Daario by her side. And while, for example, King Robert got away with it, people still laughed behind his back about it. That’s the last thing the Dragon Queen needs if she’s going to take Westeros.

Daario assumes at first that it’s just a new strategy, that the Second Sons will be taking Casterly Rock, cutting the Lannisters off completely. But no, Daenerys wants him to stay in Meereen, to keep the peace as the people choose their leaders. He’s impassioned, but does not get overly emotional. He simply tells her how he feels. He doesn’t care about a Throne or a crown or any of that. He’s not proud in that sense. He just wants her, to fight for her and be with her, because he loves her. It’s a really sweet and tender moment, because Daario is an arrogant man, always putting up fronts. But right now he is honest. And gets completely shot down. And as painful as it may be to watch, it was a very smart move. Plus, if Meereen is able to stay peaceful, it puts more credibility behind her name, which is always good.

It’s a terribly awkward and formal goodbye. It felt forced, probably because it was. Daario wanted to stay with her, but she knew what she had to do. She walks down the steps to Tyrion, telling him that it went rather smoothly. He tries to comfort her, telling her that self-sacrificing acts, giving up things we love and want, like she just has, is the kind of thing that makes for a good ruler, the kind Westeros needs. It doesn’t make her feel better, of course. He then says what everyone watching is thinking. “How about the fact that this is actually happening?” SAME TYRION. SAME. IT ONLY TOOK 6 SEASONS.

Not bitter, though. It was worth the wait.

She has her armies, ships, dragons, everything is ready. All she needs to do is go. She is scared, and that’s a good sign of course. “The Great Game is terrifying,” as Tyrion so wisely put, and he couldn’t be more right. The Game of Thrones is not an easy or safe game. But this isn’t what scares her most. She tells him that what scares her is that, “I said farewell to a man who loves me. A man I thought I cared for. And I felt nothing.” What scares her most, I think, is becoming like her father, or like her brother. She wants to be a just and kind ruler, but also a strong one. She wants to be loved, but slightly feared. She wants people to know her power, but she doesn’t want her people to live in absolute fear of that power. It’s a fine line, a hard one to walk. And without Tyrion, she might have gone too far. But with him by her side, guiding and advising her, luck is on her side.

She tells him that he has failed to console her, but then he opens up. He tells her how he has been a cynic for as long as he can remember. He saw where belief got people. He wanted none of it. But here he is, and he believes in Daenerys with all of his heart. He knows that she can do this. “I’d swear you my sword, but I don’t actually own a sword,” he says. Again, same, Tyrion. This is why it is impossible to not love Tyrion. Tyrion is amazing.

Either way, she tells him that it’s his counsel that she needs, not his sword. It’s hers. And now it’s become official. Daenerys shows her softer, sweeter side, one that we haven’t seen in what feels like forever. In this moment, it’s like she’s a little girl, hoping that she got this gift just right. She places the Hand of the King (Queen, in this case) pin onto his chest. “Tyrion Lannister,” she says. “I name you Hand of the Queen.”

He kneels before her, and this is a truly beautiful moment for so many reasons. Not only is this a huge and important move for Daenerys herself, as she could not have chosen a better Hand, but this is a massive moment for Tyrion. This is the first time that someone has believed in him. Back in Season 2, he thought his father did. He saved the entire city, and all he got in return was disdain, and a marriage to Sansa, a marriage he knew was another cruelty inflicted on her. He never wanted the Throne. He just wanted to do what he was best at, and he did make the best Hand. King’s Landing was never in better shape. But they tossed him out. And now he has found somewhere he is not only needed, but where he is wanted. Dany couldn’t have known just how much this gesture meant to him, not only naming him Hand, but going out of the way to make him the pin. The emotion in his face and in his eyes was beautiful, almost heartbreaking, in a way. I’m so happy that Dany did this for him. And I hope the last thing Cersei sees before she dies is Tyrion, walking into King’s Landing and reclaiming it. I hope his face is the last thing she sees. Or Jaime’s, but I’ll get more into that in the next post.

This is happening. Theon and Yara watch as the Greyjoy flag flies high. They stand proudly on the deck of their ship, ready to take back the Iron Islands and help Daenerys reclaim Westeros. The sails bear the proud sigil of House Targaryen. The horses are roped and tied up beneath the deck, even the Dothraki are helping. And at the head of the fleet, Daenerys stands. Her dragons fly overhead and we know. This is happening. They have set sail, and it has begun. Daenerys is on her way to Westeros.

Now, I simply have to applaud the beautiful genius that is Ramin Djawadi. The composer for the show, the music makes the scenes that much more emotional. This ending scene brought me to tears, because Gods, how long we have waited for this moment. It’s such an uplifting and empowering moment. The Mother of Dragons is finally on her way to Westeros, and honestly, I think she needed to wait this long. Because now she finally looks ready. And even if she’s not quite, well she has dragons on her side. And not even wildfire can compete with that, Cersei. I’d run now.

What a beautiful and perfect ending to the season. Things could not be going better for our Queen, and the truth is, this is true for more than just her. Tyrion is finally going home, with people who are more like family to him than his blood relatives. Theon and Yara are going home as well, and Theon is actually in a good place for the first time in Gods know how long it’s been. All of these characters are finally on their way to their happy ending. This is Game of Thrones, of course, so it’s doubtful this joy will last long. Season 7 will no doubt bring its obstacles. But they’re ready for them. We’re ready for them. It’s been an amazing season, and Daenerys has come back to her powerful self. I could not be happier.

But there is more going on in Westeros than just a dragon Queen on the way. Currently, a Mad Queen sits the Iron Throne. And I’ll be covering that in my next post. Stay tuned for more, and thanks for reading!

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Published by Maggie Stancu

Maggie Stancu is a Canadian film critic and recap guru who is obsessed with too many shows and films to count. She is the founder, editor-in-chief, and sole contributor to media news site Fiction's Mistress. Maggie previously contributed to pop culture sites such as ScreenPrism and Movie Pilot, and continues to contribute to Vocal Media. She's also still waiting for her Hogwarts letter, which should arrive any day now...
View all posts by Maggie Stancu